A retired government health inspector from Trinidad has died after his family said he suffered a blood clot and paralysis after taking the AstraZeneca vaccine for the coronavirus just over a week ago.
Relatives of the 60 year- old man said he died at the San Fernando General Hospital, south of Port of Spain, Trinidad, on Thursday night after being warded for a week.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is not approved for use in the United States or its territories. Use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which has been administered to about 6.8 million Americans including 481 Virgin Islanders, was paused pending an investigation following six cases of blood clot reaction in women between the ages of 18 and 48. One of the six blood clot victims died as a result, according to U.S. health officials.
On Wednesday, chief executive officer of Trinidad’s South West Regional Health Authority, Dr. Brian Armour, said there was no evidence to show a link to man’s condition and the vaccine.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Roshan Parasram said due diligence would have been carried out.
“The RHA will report to my office in a couple weeks…as soon as they conclude their clinical determination and they will tell me what they think the cause is and based on their report I will make further investigations if need be from an independent source and disclose what ever is to be disclosed to the public,” he had told reporters on Wednesday.
But the relatives maintained that the man, who was a heart patient and underwent surgery about 10 years ago, had become seriously ill after taking the vaccine last Wednesday.
The nephew, Faleel Ali told local media that after his uncle had taken the AstraZeneca vaccine at the Princes Town health facility, by Friday his body became partially paralyzed.
He said a CT scan at a private institution was conducted revealing a blood clot blocking a main artery and that the man was rushed to the San Fernando General Hospital where his condition deteriorated.
On Thursday Ali pleaded with authorities to not cover up his uncle’s ailment but take action to ensure that it does not happen to someone else.